Morning Glory
by Archergirl78
Summary: Esme Cullen wasn't always a Cullen. For twenty-six years, she was a woman with extraordinary courage living in extraordinary times. This is her story.


Prologue

"I was thinking."

Esme Cullen looked up from her computer screen to see her newest 'daughter', Bella, wife of Edward and mother of Renesmee, standing in the doorway.

"Thinking about what, dear?" she saved the kitchen remodel plans on her screen and turned her attention to the young women, gesturing towards the small sofa across the room.

"Thanks," Bella sat, pulling her legs up and resting her chin on her knees, reminding Esme of the young girl she met almost twenty years ago.

"I was thinking about you," Bella continued. "Your story. You had an entire life before us, but I don't know much about it."

"I had a short life before us," Esme corrected, gently. "And it was a long time before you were ever born."

"I know that," Bella smiled. "I also know it wasn't perfect, and you may not want to talk about it, but -."

"But?" Esme encouraged.

"But I'd love to know your story," Bella said sincerely. "I'd love to hear – or better yet, read – the story of your life before you became Esme Cullen."

"My story isn't very interesting," Esme shrugged. "Certainly not as interesting as Carlisle's, or Jasper's, or what we're still learning about Alice."

"But it is!" Bella protested. "We've been talking -."

"We?" Esme interrupted.

"Us," Alice's voice came from the doorway as she and Rosalie entered the room.

Esme smiled as all three of her 'daughters' sat together on the sofa. From her brown-haired 'youngest child', Bella, black-haired, tiny, Alice, and statuesque, blonde, 'oldest daughter, Rosalie, the girls had a strong, undeniable bond. She remembered when Edward first brought Bella home, still human. To say Alice was excited would be an understatement, while Rosalie saw nothing but trouble. Now, two decades later, the three were best friends and sisters in every way but blood.

"Everyone has a story," Bella continued. "Your is interesting for many reasons, not the least being that you lived in a time of extreme social and industrial upheaval."

"So did the rest of the family, excepting you, Renesmee, and Jacob," Esme pointed out.

"But you did it as a woman on her own," Bella argued. "That was essentially unheard of."

"You were a feminist before the movement," Alice agreed. "We want to know your story."

"But you know my story, girls," Esme frowned in confusion.

"But not really," Alice persisted. "We know what happened, but that's just facts and events."

'Not your feelings, your personal experiences," Bella chimed.

"But why is that so important?" Esme asked. "It's not that I'm unwilling, I'm just unsure why it's so important to you girls."

"Because," Rose finally spoke. "You're the bravest person we know."

Esme knew that, had she still been human, she would not be able to stop the tears. As it was, venom pooled behind her eyes. Rosalie was the oldest of her 'daughters' and the second 'child' to join the Cullen family. Although a century had passed, it was only over the last few decades that Esme saw her daughter gaining peace and acceptance with her eternal life as a vampire. As a human, Rosalie Hale dreamt of marriage, children, and grandchildren, but a horrifying night changed that. After being attached and left for dead by her fiancé and his friends, Esme's husband Carlisle found her bleeding and close to death in an alley. Feeling sorrow for her brief life cut so short, and hoping she would be a mate for his 'son' Edward, he bit her, transforming her into a vampire. Although displaying perfect control in adhering to the Cullen's animal-only diet, proud of never tasting human blood, Rosalie was filled with anger and regret. While she did not feel a pair-bond with Edward, it still angered her to know that he did not feel that way towards her. Finding Emmett, her mate, two years later, helped, but did not completely erase the regrets. Only time had eased her pain, and Esme heart lifted every time she saw the joy and contentment now present on Rosalie's face.

Alice was another story entirely. While Carlisle was the sire of Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett, and both the sire and mate of Esme, Alice was sired by an unknown vampire and joined the family two decades later, bringing along Jasper, her own mate. Alice was unique in several ways, the first being her ability as a seer of the future, the second being her complete lack of memories of her human life. Carlisle often said that the most remarkable thing about Alice was her very existence. Despite being changed and abandoned by her sire, she somehow awoke knowing that she could choose animal blood over human blood, and with the strength to make that choice. There was no typical 'newborn' vampire phase for her, rather she awoke to the vision of her mate, Jasper, and their life with the Cullen family. It took her thirty years to find both, but in the end, she did.

Bella was the youngest of her 'children', both by birth and years as a vampire. She was still human when Edward became irresistibly drawn to her at Forks High School in the small town of Forks, Washington. Despite trying to fight it, he quickly realized there was no point when Bella felt the same way. The first few years of their life together, and Bella's last years of humanity, were filled with danger, drama, and upheaval. After marrying, Bella discovered she was pregnant against all odds. Pregnancy with vampire-human hybrid Renesmee brought her to the brink of death, and Edward was forced to change her immediately following her delivery. Bella thrived as a vampire, and she and Edward were thrilled to be parents to their beautiful daughter, who grew at a rapid rate, reaching full maturity within a decade. They weren't nearly so thrilled with Bella's best friend, the shape-shifting human/wolf Jacob, immediately imprinting on their newborn daughter, but as the years passed and they saw the unequivocal love he had for her, they grew to accept it.

And now her girls, these three remarkable, strong, gifted women, were telling Esme that they found _her_ remarkable. It was humbling.

"I'm -," Esme stopped, at a loss for words. "I'm so honored and humbled that you feel this way about me, girls. Of course I'll tell my story, if you want to know it."

"Yay!" Alice clapped her hands together in a typical show of exuberance. "I knew you would!"

"Of course you knew," Esme rolled her eyes, grinning indulgently while Bella and Rosalie laughed. "I'm sure you also saw me getting started right away, as I don't have any immediate projects coming up."

"Well, maybe," Alice grinned.

Rosalie snorted elegantly as she rose from the couch, Bella and Alice right behind.

"We'll leave you to it, then," she said with a smile. "Happy writing."

Bella back over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.

"Thanks, Mom."


End file.
